Legalism has been defined as seeking to achieve forgiveness, justification, or acceptance of God by the things we do. It is self-centered because it takes the glory of our salvation and attempts to give it to man instead of God.Without a proper concept of the source of our justification, our efforts for righteousness can actually become an insidious attempt to gain recognition and acceptance with God. Our pride leads us to believe that God is morally obligated to forgive and accept us because of our good works. Any attempt to achieve salvation by our works is in direct contradiction to the nature of our conversion experience, which was wholly by faith. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him" (Col. 2:6).
Do you want God? Is He the object or purpose of your worship? Do you desire to be in Him and have Him in you?
Do you want to be humble and godly? Righteous and holy? These seem like very noble goals. But do you desire God? Is the path to Him through these desirable traits? The narrow path that leads to God is Jesus Christ, who alone was worthy to turn the wrath of a holy God away from our sinfulness. If we can accept this simple path, Jesus becomes the Rock upon which our flesh falls and is broken. He alone is our defense against evil and our hope for good. When we accept the narrow gate (Christ), we enter the path of being led by the Holy Spirit.
When we try, by human effort, to produce the fruit the Holy Spirit would work in us, it becomes the work of pride and humanism. The true essence of holiness eludes us because the author is not God but rather man and man's effort. It is very difficult to be willing to receive only and not generate. We have a vacuum in our heart that can only be filled by God Himself. We cannot fill it by doing good things and trying not to sin.
Self-denial, cross bearing, obedience to God, and good works are clearly taught by Jesus and the apostles. They, together with faith, are identifying characteristics of a Christian. They should, however, proceed from the grace of the Holy Spirit and not from self-effort. Following Christ does not always come easily, and one must make an effort to bring his flesh into subjection to the will of God. If these efforts are not linked in the believer's mind with the righteousness only God can give, they can become a very deceptive tool of the evil one. True self-denial begins with the realization that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves from God's wrath against sin. It is casting all confidence of our own strength down at the feet of Jesus and trusting Him to save us. Our part is to behold God and live in Him through Jesus Christ.
Christ Confronts Legalism
Lesson 8
Adult and Youth Sunday School Lessons
December 2011 - February 2012
Wiebe's Quote
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